NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

The following video is one in a series from ViewChange, a multimedia organization managed by LinkTV and founded with support by the Gates Foundation, that is producing and procuring educational and inspiring videos from across the developing world. NextBillion is partnering with ViewChange to share these stories of enterpreneurship against the odds with the NextBillion community. Both videos were produced by Journeyman Pictures.

Solid waste management is a serious problem in developing countries like Nepal, as dumping garbage in open spaces can cause disease and environmental pollution. One Nepalese woman, Tulasa Gyawali, has developed a practical and innovative way to deal with household garbage. Her kitchen compost nourishes her beautiful garden, and she earns additional income from selling reusable material like paper.

With walls made of bottles and a roof of bamboo, Luiz and Edna’s house cost a fraction of a normal building. And now an ecologically sustainable village is on the drawing board. Could this be an alternative to Brazil’s dilapidated favelas?